Executive Assistant Job #: req32740 Organization: World Bank Sector: Other Grade: GC Term Duration:ย 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Riyadh,Saudi Arabia Required Language(s): English & Arabic Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 4/27/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
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ย Description
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is undergoing a transformation in its economy and society towards the achievement of its Vision 2030, a long-term plan to expand the economy and reduce its dependency on oil revenues. Key pillars of Vision 2030 include diversifying the economy, enhancing the private sector role, investing in strategic sectors such as tourism and entertainment, empowering Saudi youth, and fostering innovation and technological advancement. At the same time, the World Bank Group (WBG) is reigniting its role as a Knowledge Bank by renewing and strengthening its global knowledge role in view of the ongoing data and technological revolution. In its reinvented role, the World Bank Group strives to take knowledge to a new level and place it front and center, with the emphasis on ending poverty on a livable planet.
In December 2024, the World Bank Group and the Government of KSA signed a partnership agreement to establish a WBG-Saudi Arabia Knowledge Hub (K-Hub). The K-Hub will act as a platform to facilitate the generation, dissemination and exchange of specialized knowledge and good economic practices.ย It will act as a vehicle through which KSA can share its experience in areas of its expertise within the neighboring regions and more globally, while also benefitting from the experience of other countries in areas of strategic relevance. The aim is to offer centralized access to information in the focus themes, transferring countriesโ successful reforms, fostering innovative ideas, supporting evidence-based policymaking, and improving the effectiveness of development efforts across areas of focus. It will also provide a centralized effort for capacity building in key technical skills. serving as a platform for knowledge generation and exchange.ย The WBG has established similar hubs in many countries, for example in Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea, among others. The WBG-Saudi Arabia K-Hub has a global outreach, with focus on particular regions depending on the countryโs priorities. Regions of particular interest in the initial phases of its establishment are the MENA region and Africa. The Steering Committee, which is set to meet regularly, will determine and review priorities.The K-Hub is a WBG initiative, led by IBRD and building on its expertise in establishing similar platforms, with endorsement and participation from the International Financial Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). As such, it builds on the institutionโs global positioning to ensure visibility of KSA's success areas, and benefit from other countries' experience to inform and inspire KSAโs transformational journey.ย The K-Hub will start with an initial focus on two overarching themes, Competitiveness and Diversification, which will have a range of more focused sub-themes, agreed upon with the Saudi counterparts. As seen in other WBG hubs, these can naturally expand over time to include other relevant themes, or even other pillars. The following four sub-themes have been selected for the first phase of the knowledge hub program: (i) Business Environment Reforms; (ii) Innovation Policy and Quality Infrastructure; (iii) Productivity Growth and Firm Capabilities; (iv) Exports Diversification, Trade Policy and Trade Facilitation; (v) Cross Cutting Theme: Data Modernization (Quality, Availability/Access).
Duties and AccountabilitiesExecutive Assistanceย
โข Provide a wide-range of executive assistance and administrative support to the Knowledge Hub manager and technical staff to support delivery of the Hub business objectives, including managing schedules and prioritizing the workflow of the office to ensure effective time management: arranging appointments and missions.
โข Independently resolve scheduling conflicts, screening and prioritizing incoming emails and correspondence with relevant stakeholders across all Bank Group institutions and outside the bank, and monitoring office activities and deliverables to ensure appropriate and timely follow-up;
โข Assists in handling client relationship and functions as an important point of contact between the client and the K-Hub manager, project teams and other stakeholders across the World Bank Group.
โข Managing the Hub Managerโs schedule by effectively prioritizing and resolving related time conflicts and competing demands. communicates the information to appropriate staff, inside and outside the immediate work unit, including officials outside the Bank Group.ย
โข Being accountable for the smooth operation of the office support work and related system, assuming primary responsibility for organizing and coordinating workflow, utilizing all relevant computer software to retrieve, maintain and manipulate data as needed. Independently responding to diverse inquiries and makes decisions when multiple courses of action are possible.
โข Assists and coordinates the preparation and logistical planning of high-level visits and other various events, e.g., conferences, workshops, events, mission visits, etc; Ensuring relevant documents and all other requirements are properly prepared and ready.ย
โข Ensuring adherence to administrative guidelines and overall quality of outputs. Ensuring quality of documents requiring the Hub Managerโs approval and/or signature.ย
โข Maintaining effective operation of the K-Hub office, managing correspondence flow and specifically WBDocs/Records management.ย
โข Keeping K-Hub manager and staff informed by providing relevant information, reports or status updates.
โข Drafting/finalizing correspondence on a range of topics on behalf of the Hub Manager and prepares minutes of meetings, as required.ย
โข Handle ad-hoc tasks that may arise.
ย Representation contacts and Liaisonย โข Serving as first point of contact to the office of the Hub Manager and a liaison with an extensive network of country offices and contacts, internal ones as well as clients and officials outside the World Bank Group, at the most senior level.โข Maintain regular contact both informally and formally with a wide range of staff, and clients to stay abreast of emerging issues requiring Hub Manager attention.ย ย โข Collaborate closely with other Executive/Program Assistants in the CMU and within and outside of the MENA region.
Selection Criteria
This position reports to the K-Hub manager. The ideal candidate should have:
Education/Experience:
World Bank Group Core Competencies
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
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